* * *
After tucking Kallie in bed,Amy returned to the family room, hoping to find Ben still here. She needed to thank him for his help. It terrified her to think how things might have turned out if she’d broken down farther along the freeway.
Ben sat in the same armchair he had before, wearing a scowl. He masked his expression and rose. “Can I have a word with you outside?” Not waiting for a response, he left the room.
Outside?
Unease swept over Amy. They were already alone in the family room. Couldn’t he say what he wanted to say here? She shot a desperate glance at James’ closed office door, behind which came Hope’s muffled voice. She sounded upset.
After a lengthy hesitation, she followed Ben.He’s in pain. Surely, he won’t hurt me.
Her stomach hardened as she took in his rigid posture. Had she or Kallie said or done something to upset him? Would he ask them to leave? She had nowhere to go. Memories of being a young girl, living out of their car for a short time twisted her stomach into knots. She couldn’t even take her car and park in some out of the way spot.
What would the handsome sheriff do if he found her sleeping in her car right there on Main Street?
Ben opened the front door and waited for her to walk through.
The knots in her stomach tightened as she stepped out onto the porch.
After pulling the door closed behind him, he stepped away from her and raked both hands through his hair, making his waves unruly.
Amy stepped away, taking advantage of the wide front porch. A cricket chirped from somewhere in the red roses, but Amy couldn’t appreciate their beauty or aroma. Despite the warm evening, she wrapped her arms around herself and studied Ben standing at the edge of the light, hands deep in his pockets.
“Is something wrong?”
“I owe you an apology.” His voice sounded tight.
“For what?”
“For my father’s and my cousin’s actions.” Her confusion must have been apparent, because he added, “I’m sure you’ve heard my wife was killed in a car accident almost a year ago.”
Amy’s heart twisted at the pain on Ben’s face. She wanted to reach out to him. Comfort him, somehow. Squeezing her arms tighter around herself, she fought the urge.
“Yes. Faith told me you lost your wife and daughter in a car accident. I’m so sorry for your loss. I can’t imagine—” Amy’s voice caught. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she said, “How difficult that must have been for you.”
“I lost them both, but my wife was the only one who died that night.” Ben’s voice grew more strained with each word.
“I don’t understand. What happened to your daughter?”
“She was taken from the car,” he choked out. “Kidnapped.”
Kidnapped!Amy’s lungs seized, and an icy chill radiated through her body. She rubbed her trembling hands against the cold chills on her upper arms.Ben had no idea where his daughter was? Or if she was even alive.How horrible!
Wait. His wife died in the accident and someone took his daughter? As the familiar story registered, Amy realized why the picture on the mantle looked familiar. She’d seen it in the news and plastered everywhere after the baby’s disappearance last year.
Close to the same age, the blond-haired, blue-eyed baby had reminded her of Kallie. For months after the baby’s disappearance, Amy had slept in the same room as her daughter, otherwise, she couldn’t sleep.
Babies could just disappear. Even in this small town.
“You’re the one...? That was you?”
“The past year has been a living hell.” The pain in his eyes matched the gruffness of his voice.
Again, she resisted the urge to reach out to him; it wasn’t her place. The man was still a stranger to her. Besides, what could she say or do to ease his pain?
“I want you to know when I offered to help you and Kallie this morning, I never once thought she could be my daughter or suspected you to be a kidnapper.”
Kidnapper?Amy’s stomach plummeted as his words sank in. She took a step back, then another. His mother’s words ‘Does Ben think it’s her?’ rang in her head. She remembered the way the sheriff studied Kallie’s face. Did they really suspect her of kidnapping his daughter?
